Gross fees are not income. Here is what different caseloads and fees actually leave a self-employed acupuncturist once tax, National Insurance and practice costs come out.
The honest answer is that it depends on three things: what you charge, how many clients you see, and what your practice costs to run. Most pages answering this question stop at gross fees, which is the least useful number — it is not what reaches your bank account. Below is what different caseloads actually leave a self-employed acupuncturist after income tax, National Insurance and running costs.
| Clients | Gross fees | Costs | Tax & NI | Take-home | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a week | £15,180 | £3,600 | £0 | £11,580 | £965 |
| 10 a week | £25,300 | £3,600 | £2,374 | £19,326 | £1,611 |
| 14 a week | £35,420 | £3,600 | £5,005 | £26,815 | £2,235 |
| 18 a week | £45,540 | £3,600 | £7,636 | £34,304 | £2,859 |
| 22 a week | £55,660 | £3,600 | £10,554 | £41,506 | £3,459 |
At £55 a session, seeing 14 clients a week grosses £35,420 a year and leaves £26,815 — about £2,235 a month. A full caseload of 22 grosses £55,660 and leaves £41,506. The gap between those two numbers is smaller than the gap in gross fees, because more income means a higher share goes in tax.
At a steady 14 clients a week:
| Fee | Gross fees | Tax & NI | Take-home | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £40 a session | £25,760 | £2,493 | £19,667 | £1,639 |
| £55 a session | £35,420 | £5,005 | £26,815 | £2,235 |
| £73 a session | £47,012 | £8,019 | £35,393 | £2,949 |
| £90 a session | £57,960 | £11,520 | £42,840 | £3,570 |
Raising your fee is worth more than adding clients, because it costs you no extra hours and no extra room hire. Going from £40 to £90 a session at the same caseload changes take-home by £23,174 a year.
Change the fee, the caseload and the costs to match your own practice — three questions, about a minute, no sign-up.
Calculate my take-home →Running costs are the part most acupuncturists underestimate when setting a fee. The worked example above uses £300 a month; yours may be higher or lower, and these are the usual lines:
As a sole trader you pay income tax and Class 4 National Insurance on your profit — fees after allowable costs — not on your turnover. At 14 clients a week in the example above that is £31,820 of profit, £3,850 of income tax and £1,155 of Class 4 NI. Setting aside about £8 per session covers it, which is the number worth knowing before January arrives.
One thing on the horizon: Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is phased in by gross income, not profit. A full caseload at this fee grosses £55,660, which would bring you into MTD from April 2026 — quarterly digital updates rather than one annual return.